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Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Swirls and Leather Dress

This dress is one of those hit and miss type items. On one hand there's thing I like and on the other there's things I know for a fact are an issue.

Lets start with the fabric, the green is an upholstery weight fabric that was given to me by a friend, in fact she was kind enough to give me a roll of it. Whilst I like the pattern of the fabric I wasn't entirely sold on the colour as I don't wear much green. The leather that I used for the waistband and the side panels was from a leather jacket that my sister gave me. I had intended to refashion the leather jacket however it was absolutely plastered with seams so my ideas just didn't work.

I didn't really pattern match on this, the pattern is so large that its impossible so I just tried to make things as symmetrical as possible, you can't really tell on the pictures but the fabric has swirls and pillars and elephants on it. Its sort of an Indian vibe.

Here you can see the leather sections more easily, I definitely think they update the dress quite a lot.

Here's my big issue though, because I made the darts in the front of the skirt too deep [stupid drawing them in error] I had to unpick the back darts and just add a small pleat on either side. Yes I could have redone the darts but at this point I was already out of love with the idea of the dress so it seemed pointless. Luckily you can't really tell from the back but it still bothers me that I messed up.

I am pleased with my hack of the pattern at the back though. I altered the back piece to have a lowered V back. WHICH I LOVE! I think it looks kind of sexy in a subtle way, I do have to be super careful which bra I wear with it though! In fact between you and me.... here the tatas are......free ......GOSH!!!!

The bodice is fully lined usually I just face the neck and armholes of my dresses but because of the leather a fully lined bodice seemed like a better option. [especially seen as you have you go bra less because of the back. No one wants chafing in that region]

Its such a weird dress for me sometimes I look and I'm like yeah its cool, and sometimes I'm like eurgh what is this filth that I created? My mum loves it funnily enough. I think mainly the green is putting me off, I don't wear green because it washes me out. But on the other hand maybe this looks okay? If I actually bother to put lippy on that is.

I think the influence came from reading the pink suit I had this idea in my head that I was going to become some sort of quirky Jackie Kennedy. In fact I've got a matching jacket cut out that's languishing at the bottom of my sewing pile, I should really start that huh?

In fact I might do, I have another skirt project ready to roll in this fabric and having a jacket too might make a mini capsule wardrobe of sorts.

2 comments:

I really really love it and I think the colour is ok too. Bit of loopy would help maybe and your hair in a French role would add more Jackie Kennedy sophistication. And yes that should read lippy. Well done it's a very nice makeover.

I think this dress looks great and I actually really like the colour on you! I think the green really suits you and I love the leather panels you've added, leather always adds a great bit of edge :) xx